Air heating and humidifying apparatus



M 29, 1947. RVEY T A 2,424,927

AIR HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 8, 1945 ?atented July 29, 1947 Thomas H. Garvey, Natiok, and Paul V. Scally, Randolph, Mass.

Application; October b, 1M5, fierial No. 620,960

1 @laim.

This invention pertains to air conditioning apparatus and more especially to conditioning means designed for incorporation in or association with a warm air furnace of generally conventional type.

One object of the present invention is to provide air heating means which is more emcient in respect to heat exchange than warm air furnaces of usual type. A further object is to pro-= vide simple means auxiliary to, but which may readily be associated with, an existing hot air furnace installation, whereby improved heating emciency may be obtained. A further object is to provide simple and eflective means for addin moisture to the air and, in particular, whereby moisture may be added in easily regulable amounts, but in such a way that the moisture is absorbed by the air current without substantial danger of the deposit of liquid in or about the heating apparatus. A further object is to provide conditioning apparatus which may be attached to an existing warm air furnace or which may be embodied within the structure of a warm air furnace, providing for forced circulation of air in heat-exchange relation to a hot liquid. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the followin rec-n3) comprises a casing t which may be of sheet metal or the like, having the inlet portion 9 and the exit portion it, the latter being connected directly to the casing d of the warm air furnace and providing communication between the interior of the casing 8 and the distributing chamber c. As illustrated, a cold air pipe ii leads from the cold air inlet chamber 5 of the furnace casing to the inlet Q of the air conditioning apparatus. However, it is not necessary that the inlet 9 be connected with the cold air chamber of the furnace since the inlet 9 may be arranged more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. i is a diagrammatic front elevation of a warm furnace having combined therewith air conditioning means embodying the present invention; and a Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, to larger scale, showing the casing of the condition ing apparatus and the air conditioning elements therein.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral i1 designates a warm air furnace of conventional type having the firedoor 2 giving access to a firebox; the ash door 3; and the outer casing it within the lower part of which is the cold air inlet chamber 5 (Fig. l) and in the upper part of which is the plenum or air distributing chamber e, from which the warm air pipes 3 lead to the severalpoints of use.

As here illustrated the air conditioning apparatus which is associated with the furnace is arranged outside of the furnace structure, but it is contemplated that all or certain portions, at least, of this conditioning apparatus may be arranged within the furnace casing ii. desired, the casing being correspondingly designed to receive it.

As here illustrated, the conditioning apparatus to receive air from any suitable source. Between the inlet 9 and the exit portion ill, the casing is enlarged to provide the conditioning chamber l2. Within this chamber and forming a substantial barrier transversely of the latter is a radiator it, preferably of conventional automobile type, having a multitude of horizontal air passages i l and a large number of small vertical tubes i5 connecting a chamber 5 6 in the upper part of. the radiator structure with a similar chamber in the lower part of the radiator structure-the tubes and these chambers forming cavities for thereception of liquid which is in very effective heat exchange relation to the air passing through the horizontal passage it. While this type of radiator is preferred by reason of its high efllclency as a heat exchange apparatus, the invention is not necessarily limited to this particular form of radiator, as other eficient radiator devices may be substituted if desired.

Within the firebox of the warm air furnace or so located as to be exposed to the heat of the ilre in-the firebox, or to radiation from the firebox, there is arranged aliquid heating device 51, here illustrated as a simple coil of pipe. However, other types of liquid heating means may be used, such for example as are commonly used in warm. air furnaces for heating water for domestic purposes. The delivery end of this coil H or equivalent heating means is connected to a pipe it, while the inlet of the coil I! is connected to a pipe it, these pipes extending out through the casing #3. The pipe i8 is connected to a fitting it to one arm of which there is attached a safety valve device H. To another arm of this fitting there is connected the supply pipe 22 coming from any suitable source of water at supply pressure, and from another arm of the fitting 20 a nipple 23 extends downwardly into the top of the radiator i3.

The pipe It leads to a T-fitting 24 from which a nipple 25 extends upwardly into the lower part of the radiator 13. There is thus established a 3 continuous path for liquid to circulate through the heater device 17 and the liquid-receiving cavities of the radiator.

Within the exit portion ill of the conditioning casing there is arranged a transverse vertical screen 28, preferably of roraminous material, (or example wire mesh fabric or an open mesh textile material, and Just above this screen there is arranged a distributing pipe 21 having drip openings or spray nozzles from which water may be delivered onto the upper portion of the screen 28 so as to flow down over the screen in a very thin fllm easily absorbed by air passing through the interstices of the screen. A supply pipe 28 brings water to the distributing pipe 21, the pipe 28 being connected to a Fl-fitting 29 which is connected by a pipe 30 to the cold water supply. Preferably another pipe ii is connected to this T-tltting 29 and is designed to receive warm water flowing out from the radiator i3 so that when desired warm water may be supplied to the screen 28 instead of cold water.

Immediately below the screen 2| there is provided a collecting trough 32 designed to receive any moisture which may drip from the lower edge of the screen, and a drain pipe 32 leads from this trough to any desired point.

Within the exit portion ill of the casing there is preferably arranged a series of air guiding louvres 3| which may be adjustable, if desired, or which may be flxed at an angle round experimentally to give the best results in the particular installation. These louvres tend to smooth out eddies in the flowing air and to provide a smoothly flowing stream where the air enters the distributing chamber 8 ol the furnace. As illustrated, they are so arranged as to direct the air upwardly where it enters the distributing chamber so that the flow of air into the pipes I is facilitated.

While the apparatus may depend upon gravity flow of air for circulation or upon the employment of a fan located at, some other point in the heating system, it is preferred to provide a support 35 within the casing 8 and to mount thereon a motor 36, driving a fan 21 so arranged as to draw in air through the inlet 9 and to deliver it in a substantially horizontal stream to flow through the passages M of the radiator i2.

Suitable valves are provided in the pipes which supply the water to the apparatus, so that the supply of circulating hot water may be replenished from time to time without diiilculty and so that when desired the water for moistening the screen 28 may be drawn from the hot water circulating system or alternatively, for example in the summer time if it be desired to use the apparatus for cooling air, to deliver cold water to the screen 26.

With this arrangement a portion at least 0! the air which is delivered to the rooms to be heated is supplied with moisture and a portion at least of the heat absorbed by this air is received through heat exchange with hot liquid flowing through the cavities oi. the radiator it. The liquid circulating in the system absorbs heat directly from the flre in the firebox of the fur- 4 nacaandthisheatistransicrred totheiiowing air by the very edective heat exchange apparatus provided by the radiator 12. With this arrangement the efliciency ot the hot air iurnace irom the heating standpoint is increased very substantially a compared with an apparatus in which the air is warmed solely by contact with the heated metal suriaces o! the furnace itselL' Certain of the subiect matter disclosed but not claimed herein is claimed in'our copending application Serial No. 753,606, flied June 10, 1947, entitled Air conditioner.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has been illustrated by way of example, it

is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claim. We claim: a

In a hot air furnace. a fire box, a casing external to the flrebox deflning an air heating chamber, means defining a cold air receiving chamber communicating with said air heating chamber at the lower portion thereof, means deiining a hot air distributing chamber communicating with the air heating chamber at the top thereof. a conduit external to the furnace leading from said cold air receiving chamber to the hot air distributing chamber, said conduit defining an air conditioning chamber, liquid-heated air heating means located in said conduit, air moistening means located in said conduit between the liquid-heated air heating means and the junction between the conduit and the hot air distributing chamber, air circulating means within the conduit for causing a current of air to flow from the cold air chamber through the conduit and into the hot air distributing chamber, liquid heating means in heat exchange relationship with said flre box, valve controlled means for conveying heated liquid from said liquid heating means to said liquid-heated air heating means, and additional valve controlled means communicating with said liquid conveying means for supplying heated liquid to said air moistening means to moisten the air flowing through the conduit.

THOMAS H. GARVEY. PAUL V. SCALLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the die 01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,234,869 Loveless Mar. 11, 1941 2,387,437 Goggin Oct. 23, 1945 1,779,714 Schmidt Oct. 28, 1930 1,791,314 Kolton Feb. 3, 1931 2,158,294 Long May 16, 1939 350,452 Zimmerman Oct. 15, 1886 1,953,302 Johnston Apr. 3, 1934 2,029,208 Wright Jan. 28, 1936 459,395 Denslow Sept. 15, 1891 708,373 Logan Sept. 2, 1902 2,278,093 Robbins Mar. 10, 1942 1,574,656 Isgrig Feb.'l3, 1926 

